Volunteers provide a vital service in the community every year and over the coming month people will have the chance to publicly recognise and express gratitude for those efforts.

Nominations for the 2019 Civic Honours Awards open this week and Hastings mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said they were a wonderful opportunity to acknowledge and thank the people who give selflessly to the community.

“For the past 30 years we have celebrated and recognised our Hastings people through our Civic Honours Awards.

“Over that time, we have received nominations from many different walks of life and we are extremely grateful to those who have taken the time to put pen to paper or go online, and highlight the hard work people do for our community.”

She encouraged people to take the time again this year to nominate someone they knew who are doing a great service for the community.

The awards fall into several categories: Arts and Culture, Health and Welfare, Sport and Recreation, Education and Youth, New Volunteer and Youth Volunteer.

Two people, or two executives of an organisation, are required to sign the nomination form, which contains full details of the merits of the nominees, including the actual voluntary work or activities carried out and the length of service.

Past recipients have included volunteers from organisations ranging from rural fire forces to seniors groups, music societies, health services, community gardens and patrols, and surf clubs.

Individuals working with children, seniors, sportspeople, and people with disabilities have also been recognised.

Nominations for the awards open today and close on March 26.

The nominations will be judged by the council’s Civic Awards subcommittee before the presentations are made at a ceremony on June 26.

Forms are available from the Hastings, Havelock North and Flaxmere libraries, from the council’s Service Centre in Lyndon Road, or to download or complete a form online go to: www.hastingsdc.govt.nz/civic-awards

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